The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-09-16
PENNY GAFFS.y
A Cheap and Harmless Kind OF
Amusement.
Fat and Lean Women and ..FreaIrs OF
Nature" as Seen In London-some-
thing About the Risks of the
business.

Londonl One Saturday night l was
strolling aimlessly along one Of the
principal market thoroughfares in the
neighborhood of Hoxton, when my at
tention was drawn to crowd of people
outside a shop. the window of which,
instead of being filed, as usual, with
goods suited to the requirements of the
locality, was occupied by large can
vas, painted all over in glaring colors
with marvellous figures of performing
dogs, fat women, skeletons, giants, red
Indians and number of udd-looking
animals. to classify which under their
correct genus would have puzzled the
most eminent living naturalist. In
front of the shop a piano-organ, evil
IDENTIFY ordered to stop there for the oc-
casion, poured forth such cheering LAYS
as .Wait till the Clouds Roll By,~
..Jeanie,n and .'Mother, I've Come
Home to Die" varied by lively jig or
breakdown. which was the signal for a
number of children in the roadway to
perform singular gymnastic feats, which
passed muster for dancing. A fat man
with a red face and very hoarse voice
stood guard at the entrance TO the shop
the inside of which was concealed
from the eager gaze OF those without
by a dirty curtain Of green baize
stretched across the doorway-and en-
deavored to induce the crowd TO pay
their pennies and walk in" His har-
angue, frequently repeated. was some
thing ike this: just a-goin' 10 begin,
Signor Barberino' S great trav cling show
admission one penny-where can be
seen the wonderful fat woman of Cali
fornia, and that hextrahortlinary freak
O. nature, the armless child, which can
write with its feet, and never knows this
loss ufits harms. eos it never had none,
and also cos mater 'as perwided it with
legs what does twice as well.
Now. then, there-stand aside. and let
the lady pass.'O CThis to group of
small boys who had got as near to the
doorway as possible-) Thank you,
marm.-Just a-goin' to begin. as ex-
hibited before all the crowned 'eads of
Europe and all the ryal family. and
specially engaged to appear at the
Himperial theater of Picking. In Chimney.
No dogs admitted. sir; and children
must be paid for.-Signor Barberino' :, "
ete.
The impression left on most Of the
crowd seemed to be that if they missed
that show, it would be matter of re-
sret to them for the rest of their nat
nral life, for they pressed eagerly for
ward and paid their pennies. In about
seven minutes the shop was crammed
with a miscellaneous crowd of men.
women-with some of their purchases
for the Sunday dinner bulging out of
baskets too small to contain them-and
'.oys and girls of that intermediate age
between childhood and youth; little
children in the charge of bigger chill
dren; and one or two of n better class
of young men, who seemed to have
dropped in merely for the fun of the
thing.
/ entered with n number of others,
nd obtained place as near as could
t, another hanging of green. baize at
the further end of the shop. for l inn
asined that behind this must be con-
, cealed some of the wonders so graphic
AIlv painted on the canvas outside.
The place having become full. the green
baize was drawn aside. and young man
with a very East-end look handed out a
short, fat, ugly. greasy-looking woman
of about four feet in height, but weigh
ing. l should think, about eighteen
stone. She was dressed in a snowy,
tawdry material. covered with elabo-
rate trimmings equally tawdry, and
/ seemed pleased with the amount of at
| tention she received. When the East
| end young man had finished a minute
account of her height. weight, age,
measurements, etc, members of the
| crowd were requested to "shake 'ands
| with the fat LADY," and an intimation
! was given that should any of the audi
ence. in the performance of this act OF
| friendly greeting. pass any coin of the
realm from theft own into the lady 4
palm. why-well, the fat lady would
aot be offended.
This part of the ceremony having
been g,t through, displaying on tbs
part of the crowd an eager desire t.
get near enough to have the honor o
touching TIE lady's hand, she wa
handed back again behind the baiz'
screen; and another woman. the an
tipodes of the first one, made her ap
pearance. She was about five fee
eight inches in height, dresses
in dirty white muslin, covered al
ever with pale blue and pink bows
The East-end young man stated sh
was only four stone in weight, AM
gave various other particulars, whicl
were all received by the audience wit
rapt attention. The sight of this hide
Gus specimen of humanity was to-
much for me, and / elbowed my wa
to the door, thus missing the remain
ing attractions of the show, including
the "hextrahordinary freak O. natur
the armless child,n whom, however,
was destined to see at future date.
The following Monday afternoon
was passing on business through tn
same thoroughfare, when l observe
: the red-faced man with the hoars
voice standing, or rather lounging, out
side the entrance TO the show. Havln
a quarter of an hour to spare. and fee
ing interested in the extraordinary be
ings ] had seen on the previous Satni
day, accosted him, and asked him
he would come and have something
warm him at neighboring public
house; intimating. as an excuse fo
my speaking to him, that / had bee
in his show on the Saturday. n
apologies seemed necessary, and / pr
: ceeded to question him as to the worl
: ing, prospects, etc, of his show.